Gorce National Park is one of those places where ancient beech forests meet sweeping mountain meadows, and on a clear day the Tatra peaks shimmer on the horizon. Spanning over 7,000 hectares in the heart of the Gorce range in southern Poland, it offers a wonderfully unspoiled hiking experience away from the tourist crowds.

The park rewards visitors in every season. Spring carpets the open glades with saffron crocuses, summer brings lush greenery and birdsong, autumn transforms the Carpathian forests into a blaze of colour, and winter wraps everything in deep, silent snow. The landscape is dominated by forest — covering a remarkable 95% of the park — broken up by traditional highland meadows called 'hale', which open up stunning panoramas toward the Tatras, Pieniny and Beskid Wyspowy ranges. The park's symbol is the fire salamander, and lucky hikers may also encounter lynx, wolves, brown bears or the rare capercaillie.

• Poręba Wielka (park headquarters) — ideal starting point for trails into the central part of the park, routes of varying difficulty
• Ochotnica Dolna — gateway to the eastern section, trails leading to Kudłoń (1274 m) and Gorc (1228 m), moderate difficulty
• Mszana Dolna — access to the western part of the park, moderate trails

• National park rules apply — stay on marked trails and do not pick plants
• Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times within the park
• Park headquarters in Poręba Wielka provides maps and visitor information
• Some meadows are actively mown or grazed as part of conservation — please do not disturb grazing animals
• Open year-round; winter trails may not be cleared of snow

The park's open meadows have a fascinating origin — they were created as early as the 14th century by Wallachian shepherds who migrated from the Balkans and burned the forests to create pastures. Today the park works hard to preserve these meadows, even reintroducing traditional sheep grazing on Hala Długa to keep them open.